By Shapleigh S.B. No. 909
76R858 ESH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to reporting of political contributions and expenditures
1-3 by certain out-of-state political committees.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 253.031, Election Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 253.031. CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENDITURE WITHOUT CAMPAIGN
1-8 TREASURER PROHIBITED. (a) A candidate may not knowingly accept a
1-9 campaign contribution or make or authorize a campaign expenditure
1-10 at a time when a campaign treasurer appointment for the candidate
1-11 is not in effect.
1-12 (b) A political committee may not knowingly accept political
1-13 contributions totaling more than $500 or make or authorize
1-14 political expenditures totaling more than $500 at a time when a
1-15 campaign treasurer appointment for the committee is not in effect.
1-16 (c) A political committee may not knowingly make or
1-17 authorize a campaign contribution or campaign expenditure
1-18 supporting or opposing a candidate for an office specified by
1-19 Section 252.005(1) in a primary or general election unless the
1-20 committee's campaign treasurer appointment has been filed not later
1-21 than the 30th day before the appropriate election day.
1-22 (d) This section does not apply to a political party's
1-23 county executive committee that accepts political contributions or
1-24 makes political expenditures, except that:
2-1 (1) a county executive committee that accepts
2-2 political contributions or makes political expenditures shall
2-3 maintain the records required by Section 254.001; and
2-4 (2) a county executive committee that accepts
2-5 political contributions or makes political expenditures that, in
2-6 the aggregate, exceed $5,000 in a calendar year shall file:
2-7 (A) a campaign treasurer appointment as required
2-8 by Section 252.001 not later than the 15th day after the date that
2-9 amount is exceeded; and
2-10 (B) the reports required by Subchapter F,
2-11 Chapter 254, including in the political committee's first report
2-12 all political contributions accepted and all political expenditures
2-13 made before the effective date of the campaign treasurer
2-14 appointment.
2-15 (e) [This section does not apply to an out-of-state
2-16 political committee unless the committee is subject to Chapter 252
2-17 under Section 251.005.]
2-18 [(f)] A person who violates this section commits an offense.
2-19 An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
2-20 SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 254, Election Code, is
2-21 amended by adding Section 254.0312 to read as follows:
2-22 Sec. 254.0312. REPORTING BY OUT-OF-STATE POLITICAL
2-23 COMMITTEE. Instead of the information required by Sections
2-24 254.031(a)(3), (5), and (6), each report filed under this chapter
2-25 by an out-of-state political committee must include:
2-26 (1) the amount of political expenditures in connection
2-27 with elections in this state that in the aggregate exceed $50 and
3-1 that are made during the reporting period, the full name and
3-2 address of the persons to whom the expenditures are made, and the
3-3 dates and purposes of the expenditures;
3-4 (2) the total amount or a specific listing of the
3-5 political contributions of $50 or less accepted and the total
3-6 amount or a specific listing of the political expenditures in
3-7 connection with elections in this state of $50 or less made during
3-8 the reporting period; and
3-9 (3) the total amount of all political contributions
3-10 accepted and the total amount of all political expenditures in
3-11 connection with elections in this state made during the reporting
3-12 period.
3-13 SECTION 3. Sections 251.005 and 253.032, Election Code, are
3-14 repealed.
3-15 SECTION 4. (a) Section 253.031, Election Code, as amended
3-16 by this Act, applies only to a political contribution accepted or
3-17 political expenditure made by an out-of-state political committee,
3-18 as that term is defined in Section 251.001, Election Code, on or
3-19 after September 1, 1999. A political contribution accepted or a
3-20 political expenditure made by an out-of-state political committee
3-21 before September 1, 1999, is governed by the law in effect at the
3-22 time the contribution or expenditure was accepted or made, and the
3-23 former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
3-24 (b) Section 254.0312, Election Code, as added by this Act,
3-25 applies only to the reporting of a political contribution accepted
3-26 or political expenditure made on or after September 1, 1999. The
3-27 reporting of a political contribution accepted or a political
4-1 expenditure made before September 1, 1999, is governed by the law
4-2 in effect at the time the contribution or expenditure was accepted
4-3 or made, and the former law is continued in effect for that
4-4 purpose.
4-5 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
4-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.